THEGUIDE
vientiane
FAHTHAI
145
1 _
WHAT WE
RECOMMEND
Try Laos’s “national dish”,
noodle soup, versions
of which are ubiquitous
in Vientiane. But be
street smart: look for
the freshest ingredients,
including green vegetables
and meat, which are
typically displayed next to
the steaming broth.
2 _
KNOW THE
NUMBER
1566 – the year in which
the current incarnation
of Pha That Luang, Lao’s
national symbol and
most important religious
monument, was built.
3 _
LAO COOKING
EXPERIENCE
Take a guided tour of the
city’s fresh-food market,
where you’ll be introduced
to secrets of Lao cuisine
and enjoy lunch in a
lush riverside garden.
This half-day experience
costs US$35 and can be
booked a day in advance.
(lao-experiences.com)
COUNTRY
CODE
+856
EXCHANGE
RATE
LAK8,000 = US$1
FREQUENCY
1 flight per day
LAOTIAN
DREAMING
The ornately
decorated ceiling
of Pha That Luang
S A C R E D S T U P A
Top 3
insider
travel tips
Rest Your Head
SETTHA PALACE HOTEL
A glorious remnant of early
20th-century Vientiane
modernism (it was built in
1932), this two-storey French
colonial-style hotel is home
to 29 rooms decked out in
retro fashion with modern
furnishings. Its French
restaurant, garden café and
swimming pool deepen the
illusion of time standing still.
(setthapalace.com)
Top Tables
COMMON GROUNDS
Newly opened, Common
Grounds has added some
spice to Vientiane’s already
impressive café scene with
its authentic Mexican dishes.
Come for breakfast or lunch to
sample the house speciality –
the chicken enchilada.
(facebook.com/
commongroundslaos)
LA CAVE DES CHÂTEAUX
Don’t leave Vientiane without
enjoying a lavish French meal
in elegant surrounds. For an
unforgettable evening, visit the
red-stone home of La Cave Des
Châteaux, whose Romeo-and-
Juliet-style balcony upstairs
only adds to the restaurant’s
Old World charm.
(Nam Phu)
Bottoms Up
CHOKDEE CAFÉ
Vientiane’s only Belgian bar,
Chokdee doesn’t disappoint,
not least because it offers an
amazing line-up of more than
100 Belgian beer brands. If all
those brews leave you too full
to tackle one of Chokdee’s great
slabs of meat, then give the
Belgian-style fries a go.
(chokdeecafe.com)
DÉJÀ VU
Located next to L’Opera
Restaurant in Nam Phu Fountain
Square, this tiny bar boasts a
laid-back atmosphere. Choose
from an impressive array of
cocktails or simply provide
the bartender with a list of
your favourite flavours and get
ready to enjoy a made-to-order
concoction.
(Nam Phu)
Vientiane
TEXT: YIXUAN FAN; IMAGE: CORBIS
